the pathfinder-第37部分

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barrassed；　if　not　distrustful　of　his　reception。

〃Uncle　and　niece　make　a　family　party；〃　said　Pathfinder；
when　near　the　two；　〃and　a　stranger　may　not　prove　a　wel…
come　companion？〃

〃You　are　no　stranger；　Master　Pathfinder；〃　returned
Cap；　〃and　no　one　can　be　more　welcome　than　yourself。
We　were　talking　of　you　but　a　moment　ago；　and　when
friends　speak　of　an　absent　man；　he　can　guess　what　they
have　said。〃

〃I　ask　no　secrets。　　Every　man　has　his　enemies；　and　I
have　mine；　though　I　count　neither　you；　Master　Cap；　nor
pretty　Mabel　here　among　the　number。　　As　for　the　Mingos；
I　will　say　nothing；　though　they　have　no　just　cause　to　hate
me。〃

〃That　I'll　answer　for；　Pathfinder！　for　you　strike　my
fancy　as　being　well…disposed　and　upright。　　There　is　a
method；　however；　of　getting　away　from　the　enmity　of　even
these　Mingos；　and　if　you　choose　to　take　it；　no　one　will
more　willingly　point　it　out　than　myself；　without　a　charge
for　my　advice　either。〃

〃I　wish　no　enemies；　Saltwater；〃　for　so　the　Pathfinder
had　begun　to　call　Cap；　having；　insensibly　to　himself；
adopted　the　term；　by　translating　the　name　given　him　by
the　Indians　in　and　about　the　fort；　　〃I　wish　no　enemies。
I'm　as　ready　to　bury　the　hatchet　with　the　Mingos　as　with
the　French；　though　you　know　that　it　depends　on　One
greater　than　either　of　us　so　to　turn　the　heart　as　to　leave　a
man　without　enemies。〃

〃By　lifting　your　anchor；　and　accompanying　me　down
to　the　coast；　friend　Pathfinder；　when　we　get　back　from　this
short　cruise　on　which　we　are　bound；　you　will　find　yourself
beyond　the　sound　of　the　war…whoop；　and　safe　enough　from
any　Indian　bullet。〃

〃And　what　should　I　do　on　the　salt　water？　　Hunt　in
your　towns？　　Follow　the　trails　of　people　going　and　com…
ing　from　market；　and　ambush　dogs　and　poultry？　　You
are　no　friend　to　my　happiness；　Master　Cap；　if　you　would
lead　me　out　of　the　shades　of　the　woods　to　put　me　in　the
sun　of　the　clearings。〃

〃I　did　not　propose　to　leave　you　in　the　settlements；
Pathfinder；　but　to　carry　you　out　to　sea；　where　a　man　can
only　be　said　to　breathe　freely。　　Mabel　will　tell　you　that
such　was　my　intention；　before　a　word　was　said　on　the
subject。〃

〃And　what　does　Mabel　think　would　come　of　such　a
change？　　She　knows　that　a　man　has　his　gifts；　and　that　it
is　as　useless　to　pretend　to　others　as　to　withstand　them　that
come　from　Providence。　　I　am　a　hunter；　and　a　scout；　or　a
guide；　Saltwater；　and　it　is　not　in　me　to　fly　so　much　in　the
face　of　Heaven　as　to　try　to　become　anything　else。　　Am　I
right；　Mabel；　or　are　you　so　much　a　woman　as　to　wish　to
see　a　natur'　altered？〃

〃I　would　wish　to　see　no　change　in　you；　Pathfinder；〃
Mabel　answered；　with　a　cordial　sincerity　and　frankness
that　went　directly　to　the　hunter's　heart；　〃and　much　as
my　uncle　admires　the　sea；　and　great　as　is　all　the　good　that
he　thinks　may　come　of　it；　I　could　not　wish　to　see　the　best
and　noblest　hunter　of　the　woods　transformed　into　an　ad…
miral。　　Remain　what　you　are；　my　brave　friend；　and　you
need　fear　nothing　short　of　the　anger　of　God。〃

〃Do　you　hear　this；　Saltwater？　do　you　hear　what　the
Sergeant's　daughter　is　saying；　and　she　is　much　too　upright；
and　fair…minded；　and　pretty；　not　to　think　what　she　says。
So　long　as　she　is　satisfied　with　me　as　I　am；　I　shall　not　fly
in　the　face　of　the　gifts　of　Provideuce；　by　striving　to　become
anything　else。　　I　may　seem　useless　here　in　a　garrison；　but
when　we　get　down　among　the　Thousand　Islands；　there　may
be　an　opportunity　to　prove　that　a　sure　rifle　is　sometimes　a
Godsend。〃

〃You　are　then　to　be　of　our　party？〃　said　Mabel；　smiling
so　frankly　and　so　sweetly　on　the　guide　that　he　would　have
followed　her　to　the　end　of　the　earth。　　〃I　shall　be　the　only
female；　with　the　exception　of　one　soldier's　wife；　and　shall
feel　none　the　less　secure；　Pathfinder；　because　you　will　be
among　our　protectors。〃

〃The　Sergeant　would　do　that；　Mabel；　though　you　were
not　of　his　kin。　　No　one　will　overlook　you。　　I　should　think
your　uncle　here　would　like　an　expedition　of　this　sort；
where　we　shall　go　with　sails；　and　have　a　look　at　an　inland
sea？〃

〃Your　inland　sea　is　no　great　matter；　Master　Pathfinder；
and　I　expect　nothing　from　it。　　I　confess；　however；　I　should
like　to　know　the　object　of　the　cruise；　for　one　does　not
wish　to　be　idle；　and　my　brother…in…law；　the　Sergeant；　is　as
close…mouthed　as　a　freemason。　　Do　you　know；　Mabel；　what
all　this　means？〃

〃Not　in　the　least；　uncle。　　I　dare　not　ask　my　father　any
questions　about　his　duty；　for　he　thinks　it　is　not　a　woman's
business；　and　all　I　can　say　is；　that　we　are　to　sail　as　soon
as　the　wind　will　permit；　and　that　we　are　to　be　absent　a
month。〃

〃Perhaps　Master　Pathfinder　can　give　me　a　useful　hint；
for　a　v'y'ge　without　an　object　is　never　pleasant　to　an　old
sailor。〃

〃There　is　no　great　secret；　Saltwater；　concerning　our
port　and　object；　though　it　is　forbidden　to　talk　much　about
either　in　the　garrison。　　I　am　no　soldier；　however；　and　can
use　my　tongue　as　I　please；　though　as　little　given　as　another
to　idle　conversation；　I　hope；　still；　as　we　sail　so　soon；　and
you　are　both　to　be　of　the　party；　you　may　as　well　be　told
where　you　are　to　be　carried。　　You　know　that　there　are
such　things　as　the　Thousand　Islands；　I　suppose；　Master
Cap？〃

〃Ay；　what　are　so　called　hereaway；　though　I　take　it　for
granted　that　they　are　not　real　islauds；　such　as　we　fall　in
with　on　the　ocean；　and　that　the　thousand　means　some
such　matter　as　two　or　three。〃

〃My　eyes　are　good；　and　yet　have　I　often　been　foiled　in
trying　to　count　them　very　islands。〃

〃Ay；　ay；　I've　known　people　who　couldn't　count　beyond
a　certain　number。　　Your　real　land…birds　never　know　their
own　roosts；　even　in　a　land…fall　at　sea。　　How　many　times
have　I　seen　the　beach；　and　houses；　and　churches；　when　the
passengers　have　not　been　able　to　see　anything　but　water！
I　have　no　idea　that　a　man　can　get　fairly　out　of　sight　of
land　on　fresh　water。　　The　thing　appears　to　me　to　be　irra…
tional　and　impossible。〃

〃You　don't　know　the　lakes；　Master　Cap；　or　you　would
not　say　that。　　Before　we　get　to　the　Thousand　Islands；　you
will　have　other　notions　of　what　natur'　has　done　in　this
wilderness。〃

〃I　have　my　doubts　whether　you　have　such　a　thing　as　a
real　island　in　all　this　region。〃

〃We'll　show　you　hundreds　of　them；　not　exactly　a　thou…
sand；　perhaps；　but　so　many　that　eye　cannot　see　them　all；
nor　tongue　count　them。〃

〃I'll　engage；　when　the　truth　comes　to　be　known；　they'll
turn　out　to　be　nothing　but　peninsulas；　or　promontories；　or
continents；　though　these　are　matters；　I　daresay；　of　which
you　know　little　or　nothing。　　But；　islands　or　no　islands；
what　is　the　object　of　the　cruise；　Master　Pathfinder？〃

〃There　can　be　no　harm　in　giving　you　some　idea　of　what
we　are　going　to　do。　　Being　so　old　a　sailor；　Master　Cap；
you've　heard；　no　doubt；　of　such　a　port　as　Frontenac？〃

〃Who　hasn't？　　I　will　not　say　I've　ever　been　inside　the
harbor；　but　I've　frequently　been　off　the　place。〃

〃Then　you　are　about　to　go　upon　ground　with　which
you　are　acquainted。　　These　great　lakes；　you　must　know；
make　a　chain；　the　water　passing　out　of　one　into　the　other；
until　it　reaches　Erie；　which　is　a　sheet　off　here　to　the　west…
ward；　as　large　as　Ontario　itself。　　Well；　out　of　Erie　the　water
comes；　until　it　reaches　a　low　mountain　like；　over　the　edge
of　which　it　passes。〃

〃I　should　like　to　know　how　the　devil　it　can　do　that？〃

〃Why；　easy　enough；　Master　Cap；〃　returned　Pathfinder；
laughing；　〃seeing　that　it　has　only　to　fall　down　hill。　　Had
I　said　the　water　went　_up_　the　mountain；　there　would　have
been　natur'　ag'in　it；　but　we　hold　it　no　great　matter　for
water　to　run　down　hill　　that　is；　_fresh_　water。〃

〃Ay；　ay；　but　you　speak　of　the　water　of　a　lake's　coming
down　the　side　of　a　mountain；　it's　in　the　teeth　of　reason；
if　reason　has　any　teeth。〃

〃Well；　well；　we　will　not　dispute　the　point；　but　what
I've　seen　I've　seen。　　After　getting　into　Ontario；　all　the
water　of　_all_　the　lakes　passes　down　into　the　sea　by　a　river；
and　in　the　narrow　part　of　the　sheet；　where　it　is　neither
river　nor　lake；　lie　the　islands　spoken　of。　　Now　Frontenac
is　a　post　of　the　Frenchers　above　these　same　islands；　and；
as　they　hold　the　garrison　below；　their　stores　and　ammuni…
tion　are　sent　up　the　river　to　Frontenac；　to　be　forwarded
along　the　shores　of　this　and　the　other　lakes；　in　order　to
enable　the　enemy　to　play　his　devilries　among　the　savages；
and　to　take　Christian　scalps。〃

〃And　will　our　presence　prevent　these　horrible　acts？〃
demanded　Mabel；　with　interest。

〃It　may　or　it　may　not；　as　Providence　wills。　　Lundie；　as
they　call　him；　he　who　commands　this　garrison；　sent　a　party
down　to　take　a　station　among　the　islands；　to　cut　off　some
of　the　French　boats；　and　this　expedition　of　ours　will　be
the　second　relief。　　As　yet　they've　not　done　much；　though
two　bateaux　loaded　with　Indian　goods　have　been　taken；
but　a　runner　came　in　last　week；　and　brought　such　tidings
that　the　Major　is　about　to　make　a　last　effort　to　circumvent
the　knaves。　　Jasper　knows　the　way；　and　we　shall　be　in
good　hands；　for　the　Sergeant　is　prudent；　and　of　the　first
quality　at　an　ambushment；　yes；　he　is　both　prudent　and
alert。〃

〃Is　this　all？〃　said　Cap　contemptuously；　〃by　the　prep…
arations　and　equipments；　I　had　thought　there　was　a　forced
trade　in　the　wind；　and　that　an　honest　penny　might　be
turned　by　taking　an　adventure。　　I　suppose　there　are　no
shares　in　your　fresh…water　prize…money？〃

〃Anan？〃

〃I　take　it　for　granted　the　king　gets　all　in　these　soldier…
ing　parties；　and　ambushments；　as　you　call　them。〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　that；　Master　Cap。　　I　take　my
share　of　the　lead　and　powder　if　any　falls　into　our　hands；
and　say　nothing　to　the　king　about　it。　　If　any　one　fares
better；　it　is　not　I；　though　it　is　time　I　did　begin　to　think
of　a　house　and　furniture　and　a　home。〃

Although　the　Pathfinder　did　not　dare　to　look　at　Mabel
while　he　made　this　direct　allusion　to　his　change　of　life；　he
would　have　given　the　world　to　know　whether　she　was　lis…
tening；　and　what　was　the　expression　of　her　countenance。
Mabel　little　suspected　the　nature　of　the　allusion；　however；
and　her　countenance　was　perfectly　unembarrassed　as　she
turned　her　eyes　towards　the　river；　where　the　appearance
of　some　movement　on　board　the　_Scud_　began　to　be　visible。

〃Jasper　is　bringing　the　cutter　out；〃　ob